Method for producing groups of contact elements for plug connectors

Abstract

A method for producing groups of contact elements for 90°-angle plug connectors by the press-in technique, includes forming the contact elements with a stamping device into a contact region on a plug side having a plugging direction, a terminal region on a terminal side, the terminal region having a press-in segment extending at right angles to the plugging direction, and connecting struts joining the press-in segment to the contact region. Different cutting tools are inserted into the stamping device to produce groups with a different number of contact elements. Different connections are stamped between the contact regions and the terminal regions of certain contact elements with the cutting tools. A plug connector is partially equipped with only a certain number of contact elements of an applicable group with one cutting tool, by stamping the connections between a given number of the contact regions and the given number of the terminal regions of intended contact elements, and trimming off excess contact and terminal regions of unused contact elements of the applicable group with the applicable cutting tool at the same time that the different connections are produced.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a method for producing groups of contact elements for 90°-angle plug connectors by the press-in technique, which includes forming the contact elements with a stamping device into a contact region on a plug side having a plugging direction, a terminal region on a terminal side, the terminal region having a press-in segment extending at right angles to the plugging direction, and connecting struts joining the press-in segment to the contact region, the improvement which comprises: selectively inserting different cutting tools into the stamping device to produce groups with a different number of contact elements;   stamping different connections between the contact regions and the terminal regions of certain contact elements with the cutting tools; and   partially equipping a plug connector with only a certain number of contact elements of an applicable group with one applicable cutting tool, by stamping the connections between a given number of the contact regions and the given number of the terminal regions of intended contact elements, and trimming off excess contact and terminal regions of unused contact elements of the applicable group with the applicable cutting tool at the same time that the different connections are produced.   
     
     
       2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises producing each of the different connections with a die package formed of a plurality of dies. 
     
     
       3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises inserting the applicable cutting tool in the stamping device into an intermediate region between the contact regions and the connecting struts joining the press-in segment to the contract region. 
     
     
       4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises producing the connections of the contact regions of certain contact elements on the terminal side with successive terminal regions.